The purpose of this study was to analyze the deposit-basis lease conversion rates of the rental offices in three major downtowns of Seoul and downtown Bundang and thereby, determine the differences of such rates among the downtowns as well as the prim...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the deposit-basis lease conversion rates of the rental offices in three major downtowns of Seoul and downtown Bundang and thereby, determine the differences of such rates among the downtowns as well as the primary factors affecting the rates, and therewith, define the characteristics of each rental office market to construct a precise information database about rental office markets and develop an office lease index, both of which would be useful to not only office building investors and developers but also existing building owners, tenants and other relevant people. Although the deposit-basis lease conversion rates tend to be determined through agreement between lessor and lessee, lessors apply their own common rates in some areas. Anyway, it is desirable to set the same deposit-basis lease conversion rates in the capital markets because they represent the opportunity costs of capital. Nevertheless, it was found that each of major downtowns in Seoul and Bundang downtown was applying its own rate to rental offices, which were different among areas. Such differences seemed to be attributable to various causes. The study reviewed such major causes as owners, scale of building, age of building, zoning and uses. The relations between such major variables and deposit-basis lease conversion rates can be summed up as follows;
First, as a result of analyzing the relation between owners and conversion rates, it was found that the rates differed depending on owners across the sample downtowns. The ratio of corporate owners was higher in the conventional downtown of Seoul and Bundang downtown, while the ratio of individual owners was higher in the other two downtowns, Kangnam and Yeouido/Mapo. However, the public owners were distributed relatively evenly among the sample downtowns. The conversion rates were higher for individuals' buildings than for corporate buildings. Namely, it was found that the conversion rates were relatively higher in Kangnam where more buildings were owned by individuals. The reason why the conversion rates were not high in Yeouido/Mapo downtown despite more individual office buildings were distributed was that those individuals financially capable had invested much in the office buildings there by taking advantage of the lower interest rates.
Second, as a consequence of analyzing the relation between building scale and conversion rates, it was found that the larger a building was, it was more likely to be owned by corporations. Namely, the building scale was correlated with 'who was the owner'. Thus, the larger the buildings were, their conversion rates were lower, and vice versa. Such correlations could explain the fact well that the conversion rates were lower for the office buildings in the conventional downtown of Seoul and Bundang downtown where more corporate buildings were than those in Kangnam. Merely, the reason why the conversion rates were low for the office buildings in Yeoui-do/Mapo where more buildings were owned by individuals was that the larger-scale buildings once owned by financial service companies mostly had been sold out to individuals due to their restructuring programs and therefore, that the same conversion rates as in the past were applied.
Third, as a result of analyzing the relation between age of buildings and their deposit-basis lease conversion rates, it was disclosed that the buildings in the conventional downtown of Seoul were oldest, followed by those in Yeouido/Mapo, Kangnam and Bundang downtown in their order. Namely, the buildings in the conventional downtown of Seoul were older than those in Kangnam, and therefore, lower conversion rates were applied there. When office buildings were constructed, their developers had to borrow some of the cost from banks, and thus, banks had pressed the building owners to repay their loans earlier. After all, the older buildings were less burdened with the debt. In other words, the younger a building was, the opportunity cost of its capital was higher and therefore, the deposit-basis lease conversion rates were higher that much, and vice versa. Merely, the reason why lower conversion rates were applied to the younger buildings in Bundang downtown than Kangnam was that more buildings were owned by corporations as discussed before.
Fourth, as a result of analyzing the relation between zoning and conversion rates, it was found that commercial zones accounted for 14.13%, semi-residental zones for 14.36% and residential zones accounted for 16.39%. Since the buildings in the commercial zones were more likely to be larger, being owned by corporations, the conversion rates were lower. Namely, there was a significant correlation between zoning and building scale/owner.
Fifth, as a consequence of analyzing the relation between use of building and conversion rates, it was found that the buildings used for business headquarters applied lower conversion rates than the buildings used for business headquarters + rental or those pure rental buildings. It was also found that the conversion rates for rental buildings were lower than those for business headquarters + rental buildings, which does not agree to preceding studies. Such a disagreement seemed to be attributable to the facts that as the entire buildings were rental, the conversion rates were flexibly adjusted to reflect the rental building market conditions and that most of those buildings were medium or big buildings for investment, and therefore, that the leases for them were relatively higher than similar neighbor buildings but the deposit-basis lease conversion rates were set lower.
As a result of analyzing the relations between conversion rates and 5 major variables based on the differences of conversion rates among downtowns, it was confirmed that building scale was correlated with owners and that the conversion rates differed depending on distributions of ownerships or zoning rather than age of buildings. What was peculiar, however, was that the conversion rates did not differ depending on zoning or ownerships as well as age of buildings in Kangnam downtown. On the other hand, the conversion rates were not different depending on age of buildings in Bundang downtown, as were in Kangnam, which seemed to be attributable to the fact that office buildings were supplied during similar periods in both downtowns.
If the above results of analysis should be used to determine the characteristics of domestic office rental markets by downtown and construct a precise information database about office markets, and thereby, develop an office lease index and calculate profit ratios of office buildings, they would be useful to not only office building investors and developers but also existing buildings owners, tenants and other relevant people.